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McCain seeks to renew doubts about Obama on Israel

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 15, 2008 01:00 PM

Jesse Jackson, a key figure in the older generation of black political leaders, has not been exactly helpful to Barack Obama, at the vanguard of the new generation of African-American leaders and trying to become the first black president in US history.

There have been tensions between the two during the campaign, and in July, Jackson, who sought the presidency himself in 1984 and 1988, apologized and was rebuked by his son after accusing Obama of "talking down to black people" and using a vulgarity in the process.

Now, Republican John McCain's campaign is trying to jump on comments that Jackson reportedly made to a New York Post columnist that could renew concerns for Jewish voters, whom Obama has struggled to win over.

Jackson said that as president Obama would bring "fundamental changes" in US foreign policy, saying America must "heal wounds" it has caused to other nations, revive its alliances and apologize for the "arrogance of the Bush administration."

Columnist Amir Taheri reported: "The most important change would occur in the Middle East, where 'decades of putting Israel's interests first' would end. Jackson believes that, although 'Zionists who have controlled American policy for decades' remain strong, they'll lose a great deal of their clout when Barack Obama enters the White House."

The McCain campaign issued a statement today from Randy Scheunemann, the candidate's senior foreign policy adviser:

"According to a prominent Democratic supporter of Barack Obama, the 'Zionists who have controlled American policy for decades' will 'lose a great deal of their clout when Barack Obama enters the White House.' It should not surprise anyone that Obama’s supporters see what others, from the terrorist group Hamas to Iranian President Ahmadinejad, have seen: an Obama presidency would bring real change to America’s policy of support for Israel. Barack Obama has claimed that nobody has suffered more than the Palestinians, praised a former spokesman of a Palestinian terrorist group for reminding him of his own 'blind spots' and 'biases,' and told the New York Times that Hamas and Hezbollah have 'legitimate claims.' Barack Obama expressed support for Jerusalem being the undivided capital of Israel and switched his position 24 hours later in the face of criticism from Palestinians. Barack Obama has said it is a “disgrace” that the United States has not met unconditionally with leaders committed to Israel’s destruction. Now, Barack Obama claims to be a strong supporter of Israel but his supporters -- here and abroad -- know better."

Obama spokeswoman Wendy Morigi responded:

“Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is not an adviser to the Obama campaign and is therefore in no position to interpret or share Barack Obama's views on Israel and foreign policy. As he has made clear throughout his career and throughout this campaign, Barack Obama has a fundamental commitment to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, and he is advised by people like Dennis Ross, Daniel Kurtzer, Rep. Robert Wexler, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Senator Joe Biden who share that commitment. As President, he will ensure that Israel can defend itself from every threat it faces, stand with Israel in its quest for a secure peace with its neighbors, and use all elements of American power to end Iran’s illicit nuclear program. No false charges can change Barack Obama’s unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security."

UPDATE: According to the Associated Press, Jackson issued his own statement, saying the column was slanted "to incite fear and division."

"I stand forthrightly for the security and stability of Israel, its protection from any form of hostility and a peaceful, nonviolent resolution to coexisting with its Palestinian neighbors," Jackson said, adding that he "has never had a conversation with Sen. Obama about Israel or the Middle East."

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Jesse Jackson should keep his mouth shut about things he knows nothing about, since he is not in Barack Obama's inner circle. Why would he put something out there that he knows would be Negative for Barack, so close to the time for voting. What is he trying to accomplish? Jealousy is a very ugly thing to witness.

Posted by Angellight October 15, 08 11:26 AM
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Jesse knows something the rest of us don't, that's why he's saying these things. You and I both know that Jesse is not just some ignorant fringe leader in the black community. He is connected and he does know what's going on in the "inner circle". He is overjoyed with the prospect of Obama in the White House and sees this as an opportunity to change our policies towards the Middle East. What in the world did you think Obama meant by "change and hope"? It's change and hope for the Palestinians.


Posted by darknight October 15, 08 11:52 AM
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What are you trying to say in the first sentence of the article, other than crying out for an editor?

Posted by Christopher Rose October 15, 08 11:52 AM
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DUCT TAPE!!! They should put duct tape over every orifice on jessie jacksons body.

Posted by watcher October 15, 08 11:56 AM
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Jesse Jackson sounds like he's on the Alzheimer's trail too.

Posted by GollyGee October 15, 08 11:56 AM
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what /how do u know about jesses' joy pray-tell???

Posted by reddie beedie October 15, 08 11:59 AM
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darknight - are you against change and hope for the Palestinians ?
Are you aware of Olmert's recent comments about the megalomania afflicting the zionist movement?

Posted by jann October 15, 08 12:00 PM
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If Obama gets in (as he should) Jesse should be worried about his nuts, not the other way around.

Posted by shut up jackson October 15, 08 12:00 PM
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Jesse Jackson would post something like that in an effort to prevent Obama from gaining the White House, something he tried to do twice and failed. To those people who think Jackson is serious, Jackson has himself condemned the "Zionists" before, so we know he just wants to be the media darling... and if he cant have something, he will try to make it so nobody else can either. -Does not play well with others-

Posted by pensivemi October 15, 08 12:02 PM
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Israel is very costly for America and it is not even a US state. That will change. Zionists are racists and a black president will no longer allow special treatment by a nation that offers the rest of the world very little value. What goods does Israel export that are competitively priced? BTW, why did they have virtually no representation in the Olympic games that are played fair and square?

Posted by Journeyman October 15, 08 12:03 PM
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Jessie Jackson knows this will hurt Obama> He had nothing positive to say about him . He is not a spokesperson for Obama. He does not want Obama to win. That is all there is to it.
May be the Republicans are paying him?
Jessie is anti-semetic
Jessie is anti Obama

Posted by Rahel October 15, 08 12:04 PM
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People should vote for or against Senator Obama because of his policies and not because of racial heritage.. I voted for Jesse Jackson years ago.. but I am not voting for Obama. Obama is more personable, but Jackson more experienced. I'm voting for McCain - but not because he is white. EXPERIENCE counts for many of us, while race counts for others. The media surely has no trouble playing the gender card with Clinton of Palin, but doesn't want to acknowledge that there are people voting for Obama simply because he is African American. He's a good man, I'm sure. But not experienced as Jesse Jackson was and as McCain is.

Posted by Joseph October 15, 08 12:04 PM
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Is it possible to disagree with Israel's policies (America's policies toward Israel) without being labeled an anti-semite?

Posted by NYJ October 15, 08 12:05 PM
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Now Ahmadinejad have an allie in Barrack Obama wiping Israel from the earth.

Posted by skmj October 15, 08 12:05 PM
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JESSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ANTI-SEMITE. HE HATES JEWS RE HIS HYMIE TOWN REMARK ABOUT NEW YORK.
BUT HE DOES KNOW ABOUT THE BLAK COMMUNITY, REVEREND WRIGHT AND HIS ANTI-SEMITISM.
OBAMA AFTER ALL WAS A MEMBER OF HIS CHRCH FOR OVER 20 YRS.
ONCE A JEW HATER ALWAYS A JEW HATER.
ISREAL BETTER LOOK OUT

Posted by BLAINE October 15, 08 12:06 PM
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"What in the world did you think Obama meant by "change and hope"? It's change and hope for the Palestinians."

Darknight your ignorance is only matched by your lack of understanding and knowledge of the words "hope and change" We Americans are the ones looking for hope and change and after 8 years of despair and war we will finally have a shot at it. It's a little too late for the campaign of lies and deception. America has woke from its 8 year slumber and you should do the same.

Posted by Joecool October 15, 08 12:07 PM
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Abandon Israel

Abandon South Korea

Abandon Europe

Abandon the border with Mexico

Abandon your religion

Abandon your race

Embrace Jesse Jackson and his friends

And be ready for the second coming in November 4.

Posted by Nicolas De Walo October 15, 08 12:07 PM
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What is the black community? And who made Jesse Jackson their leader?

Jesse Jackson is as much the leader of the black community as George Bush is the leader of the "white community."

The fact of the matter is that most black people see Jesse for who he is: an attention-seeking, egomaniac whose only God is greed.

The problem is that everytime there an issue where the mainstream media wants someone to comment on issues affecting black people, they quick dial their self-appointed black leader to speak on our behalf.

How dare anyone speak for me, and how dare you ignorant racist (darknight) attempt to portray Jackson as the brain for the monolithic "black community."

Posted by ProfessorEmeritus October 15, 08 12:08 PM
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" . . . at the vanguard of the new generation of African-American president in US history."

Who wrote this tripe?

Posted by RN October 15, 08 12:08 PM
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Barack Obama needs the Jewish vote in Florida, a swing state. All Jesse Jackson is doing is undermining him. I don't think Jesse Jackson wants Obama in the White House because then he'd be out of a job.

Posted by Becky Johnson October 15, 08 12:10 PM
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Uncle Jesse is just "Hate'n"....

Posted by Butchieboy October 15, 08 12:11 PM
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Are you for real? Isreal will be fine no matter who is in office because of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. Isreal will ALWAYS be our Ally Wake UP! This is fear mongering at its best again compliments of guess who? The Right Wing Rove Machine!

I dont know why they even bother its not like the 3% Jewish vote of which half are in NY and CA (100% Obama territory) is going to swing the election..even in Fl.

Posted by Drew October 15, 08 12:12 PM
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And why is that such a bad thing?

Posted by non-israeli October 15, 08 12:12 PM
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Jesse Jackson has not shown half the keen grasp of Barack Obama's conciliatory policies. The world has changed, it is more interdependent, and Barack has shown real talent at finding the common ground. Jesse is old-school affirmative action stridency.

The Republican atack machine has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at Obama. We have two choices here for Executive of the executive branch. It is pretty easy to see which choice would serve the country. I can't wait for the country to grow up.
Colin

Posted by Colin Kellogg October 15, 08 12:13 PM
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Rev Jackson is merely a supporter of himself and as time has shown will be first to offer his opinion. McCains campaign will exploit any damaging relationship. Whether it be conservative fairy tales of Ayers or the controversial Rev Wright. Anything to avoid the issues. McCain is backed up against the wall and its about to get even uglier don't be surprised if Hannity or Bill O make some sort of connection between Senator Barack and Kim Jong IL.

Posted by Nick October 15, 08 12:14 PM
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I'm an Obama supporter, and I could only hope that he would adopt a more sensible, even-handed policy toward Israel. Sadly, Israeli lobbyists are so powerful neither party can stand up to them.

Posted by Don Hunt October 15, 08 12:14 PM
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I really doubt that Jesse Jackson knows anything. This seems like a clear sign of forcing inclusion into the "know", A kind of me-too attitude. He has badmouthed Obama a number of times and it is no secret that Jesse Jackson has been unhappy of his legacy being upstaged by an upstart that did not seek and got his blessings. Hence Jesse supporting Hillary in the primaries over Obama. ALL THESE ARE FACTS THAT CAN BE CORROBORATED.

Posted by bob morgan October 15, 08 12:15 PM
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I am sorry, but if there are people out there who DON'T think that the Palestinian's have a legitimate gripe then they are the ones who need a reality check. I do not profess to have the answer as to how to solve the problem. What I do know is that the citizens of the U.S. and every other country that participated historically in ousting a people from their land and their homes in order to further their own interests, religious or otherwise, later profess a shame and sorrow at the actions of their ancestors 100 years later. Don't most of us feel that way for what was done to the Native Americans of our country? How anyone can just sit and say that these people just deserved to have their country taken from them and handed over to someone "more deserving" is beyond me. How should they react??? I do not condone violence or acts of terror, but to say they have no point or to not even attempt to see things from their perspective...THAT is a president I do not want. One who cannot see things from any perspective but his nice, lofty one on the hill and that of his constituents who sit on that same hill, one who is so cut and dry, black and white, close minded, so sure of his own rightness, with such narrow vision that he cannot see the forest for the trees.

Posted by Christine in PA October 15, 08 12:15 PM
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There we go again, senator McCain. Its obvious from Jesse Jackson's off the record remark that he does not have a good opinion of Barrack Obama. The only thing they have (partially) in common are shade of their skin. So you are still playing your racist card, while the economy is in financial crisis. So much for country first and "me" second.

Posted by nagamas October 15, 08 12:15 PM
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I wish Jackson was right but he's probably not. There's a reason Obama- and not Jackson- is going to win the presidency. Obama is willing to play politics better. That means you have to back Israel no matter how immoral or downright stupid its actions, and despite the fact there is little realist stake in its future... except for politicians who want to be elected by Jewish voters in the US... Florida, anyone?

Posted by e thorn October 15, 08 12:15 PM
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"Change" to Obama means simply his right to change his position at any given time for whatever convenient purpose then suits him. His "word" doesn't mean a thing because he will change it without notice. But his name, Barak Hussein Obama, his racist friends and family and his Muslim background tell us all we need to know about him.

Posted by Larry October 15, 08 12:16 PM
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Jesse Jackson Needs to keep his big mouth shut. He's just mad... Like the woman said Jesse Jackson is not in the Obama campaign. By the looks of it Jesse Jackson is not a supporter of Obama!!

Posted by Aubrelle October 15, 08 12:16 PM
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Senator Obama will always be committed to Isreal, because he cares about human rights for everyone, not just the rich, or caucasions, or African-Americans, but everyone. Senator Obama will be a great LEADER.

Posted by Michael October 15, 08 12:16 PM
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Sorry, Darknight, but Jesse Jackson's negativity toward Barack Obama's candidacy has been splattered all over the media for the past year. He is far from "connected" to the Obama campaign. He has also -- ahem-- expressed clearly his anger about Obama's success. Jackson's own son publicly distanced himself from his father over some of those comments. Not only does Jackson not speak for Obama, he doesn't even LIKE Obama or truly support his candidacy. In short, Jesse Jackson doesn't know Jack....

Posted by ck October 15, 08 12:16 PM
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this is a USA presidency not a "Israel" presidency. Israel is it's own country and should remain that way. Why is it so important that candidates are expressing unconditional love for this place? there are so many other countries that could use the attention and "unconditional" love. I am so tired of Israel being and extension of the US, or the US being an extension of Israel. Yes they had a holocaust but they are not the only people to have had tragedy in their history. Recall that the spaniards killed many native Americans, yet there's a holiday set aside for his (Colubus) great "discovery".

Posted by tired of america being in bed with israel October 15, 08 12:17 PM
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Jesse Jackson is an idiot. PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

Nothing but a racist in black skin

Posted by Jim October 15, 08 12:19 PM
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Jesse is simply jealous of Obama. Jesse failed. Now, he is trying his best to bring him down.

Pretty sad state for Jesse Sr.

Posted by Ironpen October 15, 08 12:19 PM
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From the man who talked about "Hymie Town," and denegrated Obama for supposedly "talking down to black people," he is sure showing his true stripes. When he says that "Zionists would lose clout" in an Obama administration, he's just projecting how he would have dealt with Zionists in a Jackson administration. That's one of the reasons Jewish people have always been wary of Jackson. He's a classic anti-Semite, and a major part of the reason there's lingering bad blood between Jews and Blacks. Jackson has always been an opportunist, and remains so. Let's hope the rest of us give as much credence to him and his remarks as Obama appraently does. That's nothing.

Posted by Abarafi October 15, 08 12:19 PM
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"He is overjoyed with the prospect of Obama in the White House"...

I really doubt it, or else he wouldn't have made weird comments to the press that can be so easily seized upon by the paranoid and the extremists.

I really wish people would remember that the president of the United States does not act in a vacuum and cannot force some radical change or secret agenda onto the country. (I realize that the acts of the Bush administration would tend to belie that fact, but if he and Rove and Cheney didn't manage to destroy this country, do you really think anyone else will be able to? We're more resilient than that.)

Posted by ThisIsNotYourBlog October 15, 08 12:21 PM
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Jessie Jackson has very little knowledge of any foreign policy that this Nation has currently in place. He is out of the loop on any large issues this country faces. He just likes to make stupid, idiotic, and sometimes ludicrous statements so that the news media will take his picture and make him feel important like he thinks he once was.

Posted by websniper October 15, 08 12:21 PM
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I see this as sabotage pure and simple. Any idiot knows that to say these sorts of things would not work in Barack's favor. The fact that Jesse Jackson said it (whether true or not), proves that either he's an idiot, or that subconsciously, he does not want Barack to win.

Posted by Dan October 15, 08 12:22 PM
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Jesse Jackson should keep his opinions to himself. Since they are only opinions and not facts, since he is not affiliated with Obama's campaign. He is jealous and has shown that all along, because Obama has done something he could not do. He wants to get back in the lime light, since his own selfish indiscretions and cheating ways knocked him down a few pegs. He is JEALOUS.

Posted by malinka October 15, 08 12:23 PM
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ignorance is what got us into this state of financial, political, and international crisis that we are in. darknight epitomizes that ignorance. jackson is not, never has been, an advisor or spokesperson for obama. darknight, please crawl back into your hole and join the others in your "inner cirlce".

Posted by white knight October 15, 08 12:24 PM
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darknight,

I wouldn't be too up on how closely connected Obama and Jackson are. They had a tiff earlier in this campaign. I don't know about you, but if anyone threatened to cut my balls off I wouldn't let him into my inner circle. But then again, I love my balls. I don't know how you feel about your own.

Posted by jiggy October 15, 08 12:24 PM
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Amir Taheri, the columnist who cited this quote, is a serial fabricator who has plagiarized and invented quotes and sources numerous times. Taheri recently claimed that Obama tried to persuade the Iraqis to delay a security agreement with the United States. This purportedly took place during Obama's conversation with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, but when Zebari was contacted by CNN he denied that such a conversation ever took place. Amir Taheri also fabricated a column a few years ago that claimed Jews in Iran were to be forced to wear badges on their clothing; Canada's National Post published an apology for running the fabricated article. Taheri also cited nonexistent passages in the footnotes of his own book as sources. In short, he is not a reliable source and should not be trusted.

Posted by Jefferson October 15, 08 12:25 PM
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Jesse Jackson ("Jerkson") is a disaster for Jews and Israel. McCain is far better for Israel.

Posted by ast October 15, 08 12:26 PM
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To darknight (batman envy?):

First of all Jesse is a hater and bitter b/c he is not going to be the first black man in the white house.
Change means change from the failed policies of the bush admininstration. Hope is what the majority of Americans have as you will see in November. We hope to repair the damage that the bush administration has done w/ the help of people like mccain who voted for his policies 9/10 times. We hope to repair the economy that this administration that you probably voted for has hurt. We hope to make our country stronger because this administration has created and exposed weakneses military by stretching them too thin w/ nation buliding. We hope to make the world see the US in a positive light again as they once did. I could go on an on....but action speaks louder than words and when election day rolls around, you will know that you are in the minority.

Posted by Truth October 15, 08 12:27 PM
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Blacks and Jews have had always difference of opinion. Thet both do not trust each other. Obama knows he can not win without the support of Jews. He will do and say anything to win. After that it is a different story. I hope people who support Israel come to senses and vote for McCain. Save America from becoming a United Socialistic States of America.(USSA)

Posted by aalamaram October 15, 08 12:30 PM
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Oh PULEAZE Darknight! Jackson is a bitter, old man. His jealousy of Obama's success is so transparent a four year old child can understand why he's trying to tear down the Obama campaign.

Your conspiracy theory is just laughable. Your ignorance is embarrassing and sad.

Posted by Kelly October 15, 08 12:31 PM
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Jesse Jackson knows only as much, and is no different then, random online posters who might come here and espouse their own knowledge of what Obama is thinking. Jesse Jackson is sharing his opinion, and many who do not want Obama to be elected, for this or other reasons, may be predisposed to believe his opinion is true.

Of course the last time Jesse Jackson shared his opinion, he apologized for it, and his own son, obviously in “the inner circle” said he thoroughly rejected and repudiated his dad’s “ugly rhetoric”.

Personally, I think Jesse Jackson is right in that we have much work to do to make up for the harmful actions of the current administration who has only hurt our standing in the world. We don’t have the leverage we once had, and that opens doors for those who would take advantage of our weaker standing. That having been said, I do believe that either Obama or McCain are both very capable of getting our foreign affairs back on track, so I am not worried either way in this regard.

Posted by namiller October 15, 08 12:31 PM
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Jackson is reeking of envy and is trying to damage support in the Jewish vote obama, it is obvious he supports israel, envy is very destructive thanks saul

Posted by saul October 15, 08 12:31 PM
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Change and hope for the Palestinians? I must have missed something here, Is Obama running as president of Palestine? With all of the differences in policies that Obama has compared to McBush, you really believe it's all about Israel and Palestinians for him? There are so many bigger problems going on in this country, and this is what McCain picks on, because he has nothing else to talk about. He knows that he cannot possibly win based on economic issues, which is what America really cares about. Obama has said outright that Jerusalem must remain a part of Israel and that he will continue to work to maintain its security. Biden is an avid supporter of Israel and chairman of foreign relations committee. It is absolutely absurd to think that Obama will somehow be the undoing of Israel just because a few of his supporters are anti-Israel. If anything, McCain is worse for Israel than obama is.

Posted by marcus October 15, 08 12:35 PM
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All McCain is doing is playing into the fears of jews who think Obama is a Muslim and therefore must be an enemy of Israel and the jewish people. He does this while barely making an effort to confront his supporters when they protest against Obama with signs such as "Obama is a Muslim" and "Terrorist", etc. McCain is not only running the dirtiest campaign, he is not fit for presidency, and he has opposed the american people on all the issues that matter. He only cares about himself.

Posted by marcus October 15, 08 12:39 PM
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This should have been very evident to the people who support Israel and of course the American Jewish Voter during the late debate when Tom B. asked "if elected president and Israel were militarily attacked, would you defend Israel militarily or go to the U.N.?

Obama did not answer this question; his answer was off subject. Obama just has too much Arab blood and too many Muslum, radicals friends and family. Supported by Nation of Islam, all the socialist countries (Castro made a pro-Obama comment just this pst week).

McCain answered, "yes, I would defend Israel militarily and not go to the U.N. because Russia and China have veto power."

Now who do you believe will be on Israel's side if they are attached by Iran or some other terrorist country in the Middle East? Not Obama.

Posted by Live Free or Die (Good Motto) October 15, 08 12:40 PM
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Our country needs a lot of prayer.

Posted by smln October 15, 08 12:42 PM
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We will all be hoping (Europeans) that the US Policy will change. Lets have peace.. why are you americans so against peace? You are so contradictory, it confuses us. On eone hand you have the religious stuff.. and govt taking decisions based on religion. On the other hand you have shows like Jerry springer... On one hand you want democracy, on the other hand you bomb civilians... Nothing ever fits right with you folks.. and I wish you would get some of your roads to nowhere or brdiges to nowhere lead somewhere.. please.. I think I can talk for a couple of dozen Europeans whom I'v talked with.. and we really want to see you people get a perspective of a world beyond America..

Posted by Quixxxie October 15, 08 12:44 PM
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I like this you can't tell me this one isn't racial. Let me get this right a black man said yada yada, Barrack is black, therefor he endorses yada yada. Then it gets printed up like something its not, news. Adolph Hitler said yada yada and he was white so that means...

Posted by Dan McG October 15, 08 12:47 PM
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I happen to think that the Zionists have too much control over American Policy, most informed Americans share that view. The only non-Jewish people with political power are our elected officials. But for Jesse to associate his own personal position with Obama proves that he is nothing but a rag-headed hater. Furthermore, any man who talks about cutting off another guy's jewels is one sick puppy.

Posted by Marvin M October 15, 08 12:47 PM
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Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor, serves as a foreign policy advisor to Obama. He believes that the Jewish lobby forces America into pro-Israel policy, and he defends Carter's anti-Semitic book, "Peace, Not Apartheid."

General Merrill McPeak, Obama's campaign co-chair, agrees with Brzezinski that the Jewish lobby, based in "New York City, Miami," controls America's Middle East policy
bill

Posted by the truth master October 15, 08 12:47 PM
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Everyone has an opinion. Jackson is not on the ballot or even close to the campaign. He should come out and support Palin! Just what she needs - mortifying black activist support. What would her crowd do then?
Obama/Biden is the ticket America needs now. Smart, informed leadership with an ability to discuss issues with people of many opinions. The closed shop politics of the Bush era is what McCain is practicing and it will further sink this country. Obama 08!

Posted by rj October 15, 08 12:51 PM
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Jesse Jackson is absolutely toxic. While an Obama presidency hopefully WILL end our one-sided approach to middle east politics and bring us into the role of even-handed negotiator (which we've never been once in our history - to our peril) you can't openly say that. Hopefully he'll shut his mouth until AFTER the election. Jeez Jesse, get over yourself. The guy was a great, great speaker at one time. Now he's just becoming a nightmare.

Posted by J.P. October 15, 08 12:59 PM
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Jesse probably will be assigned a cabinet post for keeping quiet during the presidential race. He is so excited at this point, because it is clear Obama will be our next president, that he cannot contain his chatter any longer/

Posted by grichard1956 October 15, 08 12:59 PM
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jesse jackson has made a career out of exacerbating racial tensions. barack obama seeks to unite all americans. jackson wishes barack would espouse his divisive policies, but that's not going to happen.

Posted by cbl99201 October 15, 08 01:10 PM
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I hope people will see this for the ridiculous straw-grabbing that it is. Senator McCain used to be a stellar politician, even if not my preferred party. Now that I have seen the fear mongering and blatant lie-generating he'll engage in out of desperation to win an election, I'd never consider voting for him again. Not even for a beauty pageant.

Posted by Emily October 15, 08 01:11 PM
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First, Jesse Jackson is now an outsider who is trying to keep himself relevant by running his mouth. Jackson's own anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments are well known. This demonstrates nothing more than Jackson trying to keep himself relevant and projects his views onto an Obama candidacy/presidency in which he has no involvement, control and/or power.

Second, Journeyman's ignorance is astounding. How about Teva Pharmaceuticals which is one of the world’s largest suppliers of generic drugs? Unfortunately, they don’t yet make a drug to cure the anti-Semitism venom dripping from your post, but hopefully they’ll develop one soon. In reality, though, they make it possible for people all over the world to afford the life-saving and life-enhancing medication that they need.

Third, in a region whose economy is dependent on oil, Israel has none. In response, it has become a bastion of high-tech research and development and both Intel and Microsoft have facilities there to take advantage of Israel’s high-tech knowledge. Israel is one of only 5 or 6 exporters of potash and other phosphorous based agricultural chemicals in the world. The medical research performed at Hadassah Hospital, Technion University and other Israeli facilities rival the research being performed anywhere else in the world, including here.

Finally, Journeyman, if you want to talk about products that are exported at a competitive price, let’s look to Israel’s neighbors in the region whose primary product is oil. How much have you been paying for a gallon of gas? Do you really ant to talk about oil as a competitively priced export? I’ll hold Israel’s exports up against exported oil any day if you want to talk about competitively priced exports.

Posted by Annoyedwithbigots October 15, 08 01:26 PM
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Obama's definitions:

Change equals:

Transition from a capitalist society to a communist/ marxist one.

Hope equals:

Hope for Big Labor bosses who can further line their pockets with union dues when the Employee Free Choice Act is signed into law. Then employees will no longer have the right to hold secret ballot elections during a union drive.

I'm all for "change and hope" but not the kind that Obama and his marxist allies want to have.

Go ahead and call me a racist. That's what you are going to do anyway since I disagree with Obama's policies.

Posted by minority voter from Brookline October 15, 08 01:46 PM
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Jesse Jackson is a very jealous and bitter man. It seems like he would do anything to hurt Obama's chances.

Posted by d October 15, 08 02:24 PM
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I wouldn't be surprised one bit to find that these statements were fabricated. That being said, Jackson doesn't like Obama so there is no way he would be in Obama's inner circle. Anyway what Jackson just said totally contradicts Obama's position, so it should be obvious to anyone that he is not speaking for or on behalf of Obama.

Posted by Sandy October 15, 08 02:26 PM
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All lobbyists are power. It's their job. I would love to have my own personal lobbyist to represent all the overweight, middle aged, secular women of Jewish descent on the West Coast. But I digress.

The real issue is that any of you would actually read something in the New York Post and accept it as legitimate. IF Jesse Jackson said that crap, then he's an idiot. But he's not part of Obama's inner or even outer circle. The only things they have in common is that they are both in politics, they're both black, and they're both men.

The New York Post is so pro-McCain that EVERYTHING written in it sounds very National Enquirer-ish. I read it for the first time in YEARS just the other day and was blown away by it's partisan views. Unfortunately many orthodox Jews are going to vote for McCain no matter what anyone says because they are being told how to vote by their rabbis, just as fundamentalist Christians are being told he is a Muslim by their priests. He's so Christian it makes me want to puke (being secular) but he can practice Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam or Hinduism - I don't care what he practices just don't let it get in the way of his running the country. It is terribly important that people stop criticizing him (falsely or not) for being Muslim when it shouldn't be an issue. Doing so is creating hate against a certain group of people, and once you start condemning ANYONE for their heritage you are condemning us all.

Posted by mominla October 15, 08 08:15 PM
.

Obama went to Israel and prostrated himself before the Knesset promising undying support for Israel. There is no reliable evidence that Obama will significantly change US policy and I say that sadly because our policy needs to be more balanced.

Posted by Henry Clifford October 16, 08 06:07 PM
.

If Jesse Jackson didn't keep things stirred up, he would be out of a job.
I attend a church that is half black, half white with South Americans and other people from Central America,. We love each other and get along great. We would do anything to help each other.
Also I would like to know what Israel thinks; I think I know.

Posted by RHanner October 21, 08 12:52 PM
.


"The JEWS who Run Bush and the USA"
"AMERICA'S RULERS - Are They All Jews or Christians? Is this like the Jewish Administration of Hitler's Germany or true Christians?"Where are the Christians who rule our country?
THE JEWS IN George II's CABINET

Who runs Bush & the USA?

Partial list of Jews in the Bush Adminstration:
(March 26, 2003)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Richard Perle
One of Bush's foreign policy advisors, he is the chairman of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board. A very likely Israeli government agent, Perle was expelled from Senator Henry Jackson's office in the 1970's after the National Security Agency (NSA) caught him passing Highly-Classified (National Security) documents to the Israeli Embassy. He later worked for the Israeli weapons firm, Soltam. Perle came from one the above mentioned pro-Israel thinktanks, the AEI. Perle is one of the leading pro-Israeli fanatics leading this Iraq war mongering within the administration and now in the media.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paul Wolfowitz
Deputy Defense Secretary, and member of Perle's Defense Policy Board, in the Pentagon. Wolfowitz is a close associate of Perle, and reportedly has close ties to the Israeli military. His sister lives in Israel. Wolfowitz came from the above mentioned Jewish thinktank, JINSA. Wolfowitz is the number two leader within the administration behind this Iraq war mongering.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Douglas Feith
Under Secretary of Defense and Policy Advisor at the Pentagon. He is a close associate of Perle and served as his Special Counsel. Like Perle and the others, Feith is a pro-Israel extremist, who has advocated anti-Arab policies in the past. He is closely associated with the extremist group, the Zionist Organization of America, which even attacks Jews that don't agree with its extremist views. Feith frequently speaks at ZOA conferences. Feith runs a small law firm, Feith and Zell, which only has one International office, in Israel. The majority of their legal work is representing Israeli interests. His firm's own website stated, prior to his appointment, that Feith "represents Israeli Armaments Manufacturer." Feith basically represents the Israeli War Machine. Feith also came from the Jewish thinktank JINSA. Feith, like Perle and Wolfowitz, are campaigning hard for this Israeli proxy war against Iraq.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward Luttwak
Member of the National Security Study Group of the Department of Defence at the Pentagon. Luttwak is reportedly an Israeli citizen and has taught in Israel. He frequently writes for Israeli and pro-Israeli newspapers and journals. Luttwak is an Israeli extremist whose main theme in many of his articles is the necessity of the U.S. waging war against Iraq.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry Kissinger
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Kissinger sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle. For detailed information about Kissinger's evil past, read Seymour Hersch's book (Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House). Kissinger likely had a part in the Watergate crimes, Southeast Asia mass murders (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), Installing Chilean mass murdering dictator Pinochet, Operation Condor's mass killings in South America, and more recently served as Serbia's Ex-Dictator Slobodan Milosevic's Advisor. He consistently advocates going to war against Iraq. Kissinger is the Ariel Sharon of the U.S. Unfortunately, President Bush nominated Kissinger as chairman of the September 11 investigating commission. It's like picking a bank robber to investigate a fraud scandal.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dov Zakheim
Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Department of Defense. He is an ordained rabbi and reportedly holds Israeli citizenship. Zakheim attended attended Jew’s College in London and became an ordained Orthodox Jewish Rabbi in 1973. He was adjunct professor at New York's Jewish Yeshiva University. Zakheim is close to the Israeli lobby.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kenneth Adelman
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Adelman also sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle, and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor, who supports going to war against Iraq. Adelman frequently is a guest on Fox News, and often expresses extremist and often ridiculus anti-Arab and anti-Muslim views. Through his hatred or stupidity, he actually called Arabs "anti-Semitic" on Fox News (11/28/2001), when he could have looked it up in the dictionary to find out that Arabs by definition are Semites.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I. Lewis Libby
Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff. The chief pro-Israel Jewish advisor to Cheney, it helps explains why Cheney is so gun-ho to invade Iraq. Libby is longtime associate of Wolfowitz. Libby was also a lawyer for convicted felon and Israeli spy Marc Rich, whom Clinton pardoned, in his last days as president.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert Satloff
U.S. National Security Council Advisor, Satloff was the executive director of the Israeli lobby's "think tank," Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Many of the Israeli lobby's "experts" come from this front group, like Martin Indyk.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elliott Abrams
National Security Council Advisor. He previously worked at Washington-based "Think Tank" Ethics and Public Policy Center. During the Reagan Adminstration, Abrams was the Assistant Secretary of State, handling, for the most part, Latin American affairs. He played an important role in the Iran-Contra Scandal, which involved illegally selling U.S. weapons to Iran to fight Iraq, and illegally funding the contra rebels fighting to overthrow Nicaragua's Sandinista government. He also actively deceived three congressional committees about his involvement and thereby faced felony charges based on his testimony. Abrams pled guilty in 1991 to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to a year's probation and 100 hours of community service. A year later, former President Bush (Senior) granted Abrams a full pardon. He was one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the Reagan Administration's State Department.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marc Grossman
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He was Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the Department of State. Grossman is one of many of the pro-Israel Jewish officials from the Clinton Administration that Bush has promoted to higher posts.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Richard Haass
Director of Policy Planning at the State Department and Ambassador at large. He is also Director of National Security Programs and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He was one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the first Bush (Sr) Administration who sat on the National Security Council, and who consistently advocates going to war against Iraq. Haass is also a member of the Defense Department's National Security Study Group, at the Pentagon.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert Zoellick
U.S. Trade Representative, a cabinet-level position. He is also one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the Bush (Jr) Administration who advocated invading Iraq and occupying a portion of the country in order to set up setting up a Vichy-style puppet government. He consistently advocates going to war against Iraq.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ari Fleischer
Official White House Spokesman for the Bush (Jr) Administration. Prominent in the Jewish community, some reports state that he holds Israeli citizenship. Fleischer is closely connected to the extremist Jewish group called the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidics, who follow the Qabala, and hold very extremist and insulting views of non-Jews. Fleischer was the co-president of Chabad's Capitol Jewish Forum. He received the Young Leadership Award from the American Friends of Lubavitch in October, 2001.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

James Schlesinger
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Schlesinger also sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor, who supports going to war against Iraq. Schlesinger is also a commissioner of the Defense Department's National Security Study Group, at the Pentagon.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Frum
White House speechwriter behind the "Axis of Evil" label. He lumps together all the lies and accusations against Iraq for Bush to justify the war.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joshua Bolten
White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Bolten was previously a banker, former legislative aide, and prominent in the Jewish community.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John Bolton
Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Bolton is also a Senior Advisor to President Bush. Prior to this position, Bolton was Senior Vice President of the above mentioned pro-Israel thinktank, AEI. He recently (October 2002) accused Syria of having a nuclear program, so that they can attack Syria after Iraq. He must have forgotten that Israel has 400 nuclear warheads, some of which are thermonuclear weapons (according to a recent U.S. Air Force report).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Wurmser
Special Assistant to John Bolton (above), the under-secretary for arms control and international security. Wurmser also worked at the AEI with Perle and Bolton. His wife, Meyrav Wurmser, along with Colonel Yigal Carmon, formerly of Israeli military intelligence, co-founded the Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri),a Washington-based Israeli outfit which distributes articles translated from Arabic newspapers portraying Arabs in a bad light.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eliot Cohen
Member of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor. Like Adelman, he often expresses extremist and often ridiculus anti-Arab and anti-Muslim views. More recently, he wrote an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal openly admitting his rascist hatred of Islam claiming that Islam should be the enemy, not terrorism.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mel Sembler
President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. A Prominent Jewish Republican and Former National Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee. The Export-Import Bank facilitates trade relationships between U.S. businesses and foreign countries, specifically those with financial problems.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Chertoff
Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, at the Justice Department.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Steve Goldsmith
Senior Advisor to the President, and Bush's Jewish domestic policy advisor. He also serves as liaison in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (White House OFBCI) within the Executive Office of the President. He was the former mayor of Indianapolis. He is also friends with Israeli Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert and often visits Israel to coach mayors on privatization initiatives.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adam Goldman
White House's Special Liaison to the Jewish Community.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joseph Gildenhorn
Bush Campaign's Special Liaison to the Jewish Community. He was the DC finance chairman for the Bush campaign, as well as campaign coordinator, and former ambassador to Switzerland.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christopher Gersten
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families at HHS. Gersten was the former Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Husband of Labor Secretary, Linda Chavez, and reportedly very pro-Israel. Their children are being raised Jewish.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark Weinberger
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public Affairs.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Samuel Bodman
Deputy Secretary of Commerce. He was the Chairman and CEO of Cabot Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bonnie Cohen
Under Secretary of State for Management.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruth Davis
Director of Foreign Service Institute, who reports to the Office of Under Secretary for Management. This Office is responsible for training all Department of State staff (including ambassadors).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel Kurtzer
Ambassador to Israel.

Cliff Sobel
Ambassador to the Netherlands.

Stuart Bernstein
Ambassador to Denmark.

Nancy Brinker
Ambassador to Hungary

Frank Lavin
Ambassador to Singapore.

Ron Weiser
Ambassador to Slovakia.

Mel Sembler
Ambassador to Italy.

Martin Silverstein
Ambassador to Uruguay.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lincoln Bloomfield
Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jay Lefkowitz
Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ken Melman
White House Political Director.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brad Blakeman
White House Director of Scheduling.

Posted by Iyam Tiger November 6, 08 09:40 PM
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About Political Intelligence

Reports from Boston Globe reporters and editors about the Obama administration, the Massachusetts congressional delegation, and other national political happenings.

News from the Washington Bureau

Declassification of secret documents to be delayed

WASHINGTON - President Obama will maintain a lid of secrecy on millions of pages of military and intelligence documents that were scheduled to be declassified by the end of the year, according to administration officials. (Globe Staff, 12:25 a.m.)

Tax break on profits again in jeopardy

An effort in Congress to eliminate a generous tax break for hedge fund managers, private-equity specialists, and venture capitalists, which could be taken up next week in the House Ways and Means Committee, is being met with resistance by opponents who say the move would weaken the economy. (Globe Staff, 11/26/09)

In N.E. governors’ races, GOP sees a chance to build on gains

Invigorated by state house victories earlier this month in Virginia and New Jersey, Republicans are turning their attention to governorships in New England, where they believe the retirement of four incumbents and a competitive race in Massachusetts has created wide-open opportunities. (Globe Correspondent, 11/25/09)

Senators voice optimism on public option

WASHINGTON - Buoyed by their weekend victory on a vote beginning the health care debate, several Senate Democrats expressed optimism yesterday they could find a way to keep a government-run insurance plan in the sweeping bill. (Globe Staff, 11/23/09)

Health overhaul narrowly advances

The Senate narrowly overcame the first of two critical hurdles to passing sweeping health care legislation last night, mustering the minimum of 60 votes required to begin debate on the bill and opening a volatile floor fight likely to last weeks. (Globe Staff 11/22/09)

Latinos, blacks take harder hit amid recession

Latinos and African-Americans in Massachusetts and across the country are facing high unemployment rates that could spiral to levels not seen in decades as the jobless economic recovery drags on, analysts and urban community advocates say. (Globe Staff, 11/21/09)

Some lawmakers push back Catholic church on health care bill

Representative Louise Slaughter has a consistent record advocating abortion rights. So the New York Democrat was stunned recently to receive, for the first time, a letter from a Catholic diocese in western New York, demanding that she explain her vote this month against a health care amendment prohibiting insurance companies from paying for abortions. (Globe Staff, 11/21/09)

Support wanes for curbs on credit-card interest rates

Efforts in Congress to cap credit-card interest rates are faltering because of opposition from Democrats and a lack of specific support from the White House, despite growing consumer outrage over a rush by banks to impose rates as high as 30 percent. (Globe Staff, 11/19/09)

Obama domestic agenda largely a one-party effort

Despite early pleas for bipartisanship, President Obama is forging ahead with his domestic agenda with a largely single-party strategy, unable to corral more than a handful of Republicans on a wide range of major legislation before Congress. (Globe Staff, 11/17/09)

Beirut attack victims’ families face new hurdle

On Veterans Day, Christine Devlin stood in the cold in Westwood for the unveiling of a new memorial to local soldiers lost overseas, including her son Michael, one of the 241 servicemen killed in the bombing of the US Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983. (Globe Staff, 11/14/09)
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